Date: 08/11/2006
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Mkhize: Closing of Local Economic Development conference


  Closing remarks by the MEC for Finance and Economic Development Dr Zweli Mkhize at the Local Economic Development (LED) conference at Sibaya Conference Centre

Programme Director
Mrs Carol Coetzee, Head of the Department of Economic Development
All mayors present
Business representatives
Members of the European Union present
Government officials
Civil Society represented
Members of the media
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen

This LED Conference here at Sibaya, marks a milestone in our historic mission to halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. It is the beginning of a long process to work proactively together in the interests of our people and society. The purpose of the conference was to share information, strengthen relationships, stimulate thought and prepare you for the upcoming district growth and development summits. It is part of a process to assist you in developing well-founded Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)and Local Economic Development Plans.

Yesterday, during the conference proceedings, the Premier and the MEC talked about the importance of working together to grasp the opportunities that are there for the taking. We have heard about the national framework on LED from the Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg). We heard about the Department of Trade and Industry's (dti's) thinking and approach to regional industrial development. We were informed of the provincial profile and the provincial spatial economic development strategy. Today we have heard about the Dube TradePort, the challenges posed by 2010 and the opportunities that can be unlocked. From our Premier to the various speakers, the key questions that we have to respond to is 'what do we fill those containers with' and how do we provide all those services required in 2010? Many suggestions have been made.

We have heard about the Agrarian Revolution, transport plans, economic development programmes, tourism corridors and provincial investment strategies. The mechanisms and instruments for development that exist at a provincial level have been laid out for all to see. I urge you to grasp these opportunities and make use of these instruments, as they will not be here forever. The challenge is how your locality and the people within it derive maximum benefit from it?

All the presentations on national and provincial strategy and planning frameworks and on catalytic projects and programmes emphasised the importance of the locality in local economic development. The identification of local economic potential and the exploitation thereof emerges as a critical element to creating a competitive advantage in localities. Good local planning and budgeting together with creative, innovative and strong partnerships between the private and public sector is required in implementation.

I have been impressed with the range of questions that have been raised, many of which need to be answered in your district summits. It is evident that there is a concern about skills and capacity both in government and the private sector. This is not a new issue. In 1994, the Reconstruction and Development Programme noted: "Human resource development must address the development of human capabilities, abilities, and knowledge and know how to meet the people's ever growing needs for goods and services, to improve their standard of living and quality of life."

"It is a process in which the citizens of a nation acquire and develop the knowledge and skill necessary for occupational tasks and for other social, cultural, intellectual and political roles that are part and parcel of a vibrant democratic society."

12 years later, we have again raised the same issue. This challenge must now be tackled proactively. We would expect that local strategies that draw on provincial and national skills and capacity development initiatives will feature prominently in your Integrated Development Plans for 2007/08 and that in the next annual LED conference we will be learning from your successes and failures in implementing those strategies.

In this context I would want to bring to your attention that this entire conference was organised by officials from my Ministry, my Department, Ithala, the Dube TradePort, Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal and the Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs. There were no external event organisers or consultants involved at any stage in the organisation of this conference. I want to congratulate this team not only because of the effort you put into it or the excellent organisation of this conference but because you have demonstrated that we have the capacity and skills to organise such an event. I would hope that the teams established to organise the district growth and development summits would follow your example.

Some people had raised concerns about the sustainable use of natural resources and the development of renewable energy sources in LED. This is an important issue that should permeate your Integrated Development Plans. In a similar vein, our Premier as well as other conference delegates have asked the question 'Where are the women in LED?'

Indeed, holistic and integrated approaches are needed to address the challenges posed by environmental sustainability, HIV and AIDS, the empowerment of women, youth and Black people, the poor and marginalised of our society. When we reconvene next year, we hope to hear of your successes and failures in this regard. A concern was also raised about the implementation of IDPs and LED Plans. It is true that some of the best plans crafted never see the light of day due to non-implementation. Implementation appears as a daunting set of activities where many are afraid to take the first step for fear of making mistakes.

Let me assure you that it is 'better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.' In many instances, success in development work is based on mistakes and failures as long as we are able to learn from it and not repeat those mistakes. Persistence is vital to achieving your goals. My message is that once your plans are made, take the decisions required to implement them, provide the support required for implementation and most importantly learn through your actions.

The extent to which this conference could be deemed to be successful will become evident in the discussions we will have at the next LED conference. If we are still talking about alignment of planning between the spheres of government and with our social partners then our efforts could be considered to have been unsuccessful. If however, we are talking about practical developmental issues, about our experiences and learning in implementing well crafted IDPs, LED plans and spatial strategies, then, we would have made significant progress.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This conference is a call to action. We are saying that there are many opportunities out there waiting to be seized. We are saying that 'together, we can accelerate local economic development.' In conclusion, I would like to thank you for your attendance and participation, and wish you well in your district summits and a safe journey back to your homes.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Finance and Economic Development, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
8 November 2006